The Times They Remembered Pidge Was a Girl
by Magma Writes
Summary: The stuff you have to deal with while being a girl doesn't change just because you're up in space. At least you have four guys, five lions, and two aliens on your side. One-Shot Collection. Periods, crushes, girls night, etc.
1. Apparently Mother Nature Visits in Space

Chapter 1: **Apparently Mother Nature Visits in Space**

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"You want what?" Hunk asked, staring at the youngest paladin with a quirked brow.

"You know, those smooth disk things you made that one time," Pidge said, flattening her hands together in a circular motion. "We used it to teleport-"

"I know what you're talking about," Hunk said, putting his hands on his hips. "But I didn't think you _liked_ those cookies."

Pidge shuffled her feet nervously, pushing up her glasses with a finger. "Uh, well I don't exactly…" At Hunk's crestfallen expression the green paladin quickly shook her head, laughing nervously. "I mean- but I really want them now!"

Hunk didn't exactly believe her but he did catch her shoveling some of the green goop into her mouth late last night when he ventured into the kitchen for a midnight snack. He also remembered thinking whether or not it was actually midnight. Altean time measurements use 20 vargas in a day so technically it was ten at night?

Hunk rubbed his temple. Space math.

"Earth to Hunk," Pidge said, tip toeing to wave her hand in front of his face.

"Technically we're in space so I can't Earth," Hunk said, holding his chin in his hand. "Would it be space to Hunk?"  
"Hunk!" Pidge exclaimed, barely stopping herself from stomping her foot. "Focus! I'm starving."

"Now you know how _I_ feel all the time," Hunk said happily.

Pidge narrowed her eyes, pouting. "I'm not throwing up though am I?"

"Harsh," Hunk said with a chuckle. "Maybe I shouldn't make you cookies. How about that?" The yellow paladin was surprised to see the eyes of the youngest member of the team go glassy as her lower lip trembled. Oh no. He made her cry. He was making Pidge cry. Holy crow- he's the worst friend to ever friend. "Uh…Pidge…are you going to-"

"No!" she exclaimed, ears heating up at the tip. "I'm just-" She groaned, frustrated. "I'll be in my room," she grumbled, storming out of the kitchen.

Hunk watched her go, confusion creeping its way into him. He heard someone greet her happily and Shiro ventured into the room a frown on his face.

"Hunk, did you make Pidge cry?" he asked, genuinely confused.

There was no malice in his tone, no anger hidden beneath the words and yet-

"Oh quiznak!" the large paladin blubbered and Shiro was left patting his back.

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Pidge found stacks of cookies as tall as herself outside her door that night.

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If there was one thing they all knew about Pidge was that she was strong. Not once did they falter in their belief or worry about her not being able to withstand any missions they set for her.

There was only one time Keith's confidence in that wavered and it was mostly because he was confused.

It wasn't often he found Pidge on the training deck. He liked to come there to clear his head and get a few rounds of practice in. He certainly didn't expect to find her sprawled on her side at the edge of the training room, face towards the wall. Now it wasn't odd to find the green paladin asleep in random places throughout the castleship. She often dozed off because she lost track of time tinkering with some new piece of technology she found. But seeing her here-

"Pidge!" Keith exclaimed, running towards her and sliding onto his knees. He placed a hand on her shoulder, rolling her to her back. "Are you hurt?" He immediately thought about the time the training system malfunctioned and how dangerous that ended up being. Maybe Pidge picked one level too high-

"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. She had her hands wrapped around her abdomen and she rolled back onto her side, hiding her face from him.

"Do you want me to get Coran?" Keith prodded. "He can put you in the healing pod-"

"I'm fine," she repeated adamantly. "Just go on and train. I'll be here."

"In the corner." Keith stated pointedly.

"Yes."

Keith stood hesitantly, eyeing her warily before making his way to the center of the room. Obviously he knew _something_ was wrong but he didn't see any bruises or blood so he tried to shrug the concern away.

Unsuccessfully.

"Exercise is supposed to help," he heard her mutter about fifteen minutes into training.

"Help with what?"

Silence.

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Pidge had to tell someone. Being sucked into space without any preparation all that time ago meant she was short on a couple necessities. Allura was really nice about it. She didn't quite understand because her Altean body was different than Pidge's own.

One little thing she wasn't expecting though- Coran overheard. The older man burst into the room exclaiming that if Number Five was in need of any assistance he would be there to help. He stared at her, bent at the hip, twirling his mustache.

"Please stop looking at me like that," Pidge said, leaning back.

"Like what?" the man asked. "Human bodies are quite similar to ours-"

"Allura can change her appearance-"

"Perhaps we can come up with an antidote to stop the bleeding," Coran continued, tapping a finger on his chin as he thought of all the different hormones and processes that need to be accounted for. "I may need to run some diagnoses-"

Pidge slumped into her seat. "Not what I meant."

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When Shiro spotted a little bit of red on Pidge's shorts he got mad. They just finished fighting some hostile aliens and though everyone was bruised and aching he didn't know she had received any type of wound that pierced her skin.

Pidge was the first to change out of her suit. It had started to malfunction and because of some exposed wires he insisted she change as soon as possible. He'd rather not have their resident techy short circuit.

Pidge felt Shiro's eyes on her and turned to see his eyebrows knit together in anger, fists clenched around the helmet he held.

"Uh, are you okay Shiro?" she asked.

"Katie, which one of them hurt you?"

"What?" Pidge questioned, tilting her head. When Shiro used her real name she knew things were serious.

"You're bleeding," he pointed out.

Pidge glanced over her shoulder, grabbing the hem of her shorts before blushing bright red. "Oh that. That's nothing."

"What do you mean _nothing_?" Shiro asked. His voice was calm but she could sense a storm brewing inside of him. "I knew things were getting hectic and we had to fight outside of our lions but-" He pinched the bridge of his nose. None of it really made a difference but sometimes… He couldn't help it. He wouldn't let what happened to Matt happen to her. Sometimes he could forget just how _young_ Pidge was. And small. Shiro's _waist_ was practically as wide as her whole _body_.

"Shiro, relax." Pidge said. "Really it's nothing. And even if it was we've had worse injuries. Remember Lance?"

"Remember me what?"

Lance walked into the room, hands stuffed into his jacket.

"Shiro's freaking out over a little bit of bleeding." Pidge said with a shrug.

"Who's bleeding? Shiro I thought you could take a beating," Lance said, throwing fake punches into the air. "Champion and all-"

" _Pidge_ is bleeding," Shiro said, stopping Lances fists in his hands.

Pidge rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go change."

That's when Lance noticed the red too.

"Oh," he mumbled. He looked at Shiro, a sly grin forming on his face. "Really? I was the last one to figure out she's a girl but _really_?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Shiro exclaimed. "Our fellow paladin was hurt. That's the only issue. She was paired with me. I should have helped more."

Lance snorted. "Believe me you can't really do much about this."

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Lance was acting surprisingly nice to her.

That's not to say he _wasn't_ nice. But he was just being extra…careful.

"So, I'm going to take a trip to the space mall," Lance said, crouching down beside the green paladin, blocking her view of her laptop. Now normally he wouldn't expect Pidge to be interested in coming shopping with him but he had an inkling this time would be different.

Pidge adjusted her glasses. "When're you going?"

"Now, want to come?" Lance said, standing and stretching. "I'm going to go weasel some money out of Coran first."

Pidge looked hesitant so Lance decided to draw her in with curiosity. "Hey, but if you do come I got rules this time. What I'm going to buy is top secret so I'll give you half of whatever money Coran gives me and you go buy whatever you want while I do my super secretive shopping, okay?"

There. Lance was proud of himself. Now she could go buy whatever things she needed for her monthly situation without feeling shy about it.

"You're so weird," Pidge said, straightening up. "I'll meet you in five."

When they arrived at the mall (in normal clothing and _not_ as pirates) Lance handed Pidge a couple of space bills. "Hey, I lived with a lot of girls-"

"And yet every time you see one you start drooling," Pidge said, the corner of her lip turned upwards.

Lance shoved her shoulder. "I'm trying to have a moment with you!"

"You ruined your moment with Keith," Pidge said, eyes twinkling. "Guess it's my turn."

Lance crossed her arms and grumbled under his breath before feeling a small hand on his sleeve. "Thank you," Pidge said, smiling sincerely.

"Yeah, whatever!" Lance called out as he watched her disappear into the crowd. "Not like I care what a little half pint like you gets yourself into!"

The next day Pidge stuck the sticky part of a new pad onto Lances back and he walked around the castleship and no one said a thing.

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 _Authors Note:_

I plan on adding a lot more situations Pidge can encounter. If you have any ideas feel free to share!

-Magma

P.S. Shout out to my friend who read & reviewed using my laptop smh lmao ily


	2. Her Intellectual Curiosity Is Aroused

Chapter 2: **Her Intellectual Curiosity Is Aroused**

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Okay, so if there was anyone they expected to get a crush on some random alien they met on another planet it would be Lance. It happened before. Plenty of times.

No one expected it to be Pidge.

And _no one_ expected her to act the way she did.

"Pidge, cut it out," Shiro said, carefully pushing her away as she peeked around his legs.

"Cut what out?" the green paladin mumbled as she stared off at a small crowd in the distance, a hint of red across peppered across the bridge of her nose.

"Stop staring at- at the…"

"He's beautiful," she sighed, almost melting beside him.

"He has an antenna," Hunk stated, nodding approvingly.

"And mechanical parts," Keith listed.

"Nothing wrong with that," Hunk said, knocking his fist against Shiro's right arm.

"Is it a he though?" Shiro wondered, cocking his head and squinting at the antenna. He glanced back at his fellow paladins and realized Lance looked strange. Like he was constipated. Or holding back… "Hard to tell with aliens."

"Who cares," Pidge said nonchalantly, still partially hidden behind Shiro. "Did you see the way he fought off those-"

"PIDGE HAS A CRUSH!" Lance finally exploded cheerfully, practically yanking her from Shiro's legs. He hooked his hands under her arms and spun her around a few times, shouting with glee. "Pidge- my little protégé, my pupil, my ward-"

"Please stop," Pidge said, pushing her hands against his face in an attempt to clear some of her personal space as soon as he put her down.

"Let me help you in the ways of relationships-"

"No thanks-"

Suddenly all five of their intercoms beeped to life. "What's the hold up?" Coran spoke in their ears. "Have you helped the target?"

"Pidge has a crush," Lance responded immediately, cutting off anything Shiro had opened his mouth to say.

"Pidge what?" Coran asked, confusion evident in his voice. "Pidge is crushed?"

"Do you need backup?" Allura's voice chimed to life. "Is she alright?"

"Not _that_ kind of crush," Lance answered, gesturing to the rest of his friends for help. They all resolutely ignored him; there faces clearly saying, _you said it. You explain_. "Uh…"

"I do _not_ ," Pidge said with a huff.

"Oh quiznak. Good. Number Five, you're okay!" Coran praised.

"She'll be better than okay in a tic," Hunk said, grinning as the snow cloud colored, humanoid alien neared them, raising his 3 fingered hand in greeting.

"Wozblay," Pidge cursed quietly to herself, quickly attempting to flatten her hair and pull at the tangles she got from an unrelated fight.

Shiro watched her with an amused expression. "I've never seen you act like this Pidge." When she glared at him he held up his hands defensively, chuckling. "Not that it's a bad thing."

"Hello," the periwinkle alien stopped before them, flanked by crudely armored creatures. "My name is T'Agog. We welcome you to our planetoid. I'd like to apologize for the recent firefight you witnessed as you landed."

"Who were flying those ships?" Shiro questioned, feeling Pidge shift beside him.

T'Agog frowned, staring off the way the ships and people retreated after their recent battle. "They are our kind. But we are trying to protect those who live with us past those cliffs," he said, indicating to where his own crew headed back. "Aliens come from all over and seek refuge with us."

"That's so nice of you to do," Pidge said, staring up at the stranger adoringly. The alien was tall in stature. Tall enough for her but nowhere near the hulking height of Hunk and just barely a competition for Keith.

"Thank you," he replied, nodding at her. "You are all Paladins, yes? If it was possible for you to help us defend against those pests we would be very pleased."

"Of course, we'll do whatever we can," Shiro nodded, holding out his hand to shake.

T'Agog smiled, as he glanced around at the crew. His eyes fell on Pidge. "Is he okay?" Pidge's face fell and the blush that had been a constant presence on her cheeks since the alien arrived flamed up even brighter. "He looks red. Are you sick? Perhaps we can assist you. We have some excellent healers back in the caves-"

Lance snorted beside Pidge and she quickly elbowed him in the stomach. Through pain he held up a finger to T'Agog. " _She_ is fine," he said. "Me on the other hand…"

"Oh, my apologies," T'Agog said, bowing deeply but maintaining eye contact with the smallest of the group. "You are female. I should have known from your size."

Pidge puffed up at this. "I am _not_ small."

T'Agog looked taken aback. He chortled. "You have a fire in you. It's impressive. I meant no harm by it. It may be because of the armor you all are wearing. It's quite similar. But also, although humans are well known across the universe not many get the pleasure of coming into contact with them. I hope I haven't offended you."

Pidge shook her head. "Why are humans famous?"

T'Agog smiled. "Mostly because we're surprised they have lasted so long. Now sapient creatures tend to be self-destructive. Unknowingly of course. Either we suspected they would destroy their own planet or they would destroy each other. And yet they find a way to thrive. You all are fascinating creatures and I'm glad to have gotten to meet you."

"I'm glad to have gotten to meet you too," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

"Should we leave you alone, Pidge?" Lance asked slyly, snickering into his hand.

The green Paladin looked like she was going to pounce on her blue friend before Shiro quickly grabbed her by the collar of her suit.

"Let us know if there's anything we can do for you," Shiro said, holding a struggling Pidge in one arm as Lance danced away gleefully, hiding behind Keith who stood to the side, eyes narrowed at the natives before him.

"Actually, perhaps one of you Paladins could stay behind for a while. Just in case those rogues attack again. That way they could alert the rest of you sooner," T'Agog said. "I assume you are in constant communication with those helmets you carry."

Shiro looked hesitant at first and realized that Pidge had stopped her struggling and was gazing up at him longingly. He sighed. "Any one in particular?" he asked, almost sarcastically, addressing T'Agog.

The alien chuckled. "The girl will do. She seems quite keen on examining my electronic parts."

"I'm sure she's interested in examining some other parts too," Lance whispered.

"I'm going to _kill_ you!" Pidge shouted as she resumed her struggling. "Shiro, _let go_!"

"And she seems quite capable," T'Agog continued, ignoring the implication. "If need arise I think she'd do well fighting along side us."

Shiro nodded. "She's strong. But can you give us a few minutes alone?" T'Agog bowed and moved away as Shiro turned to his team. "I don't like us separating," he said lowly.

"I don't like it either," Hunk spoke up. "I mean I'm all for teasing Pidge-"

"-Hey!"

"-But something about this situation is making me feel antsy," Hunk continued. "Some feeling in my gut."

"We can't trust your gut," Pidge said, frowning. "Your gut likes to betray us. Your gut has temper tantrums and throws up all over our equipment."

"Stop making fun of my gut," Hunk said, rubbing his belly. "It's sensitive."

"That's the problem!" Pidge said, laughing before giving the yellow Paladin a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Jokes aside, I agree with Hunk," Keith said, glancing over at T'Agog and his men from the corner of his eyes. "I don't trust them."

"You don't trust anyone," Lance said, crossing his arms.

"Also true," Keith said with a brief nod. "But seriously. I don't like the way he looked at Pidge."

"Aw, Keith, you do care," Pidge teased bumping her shoulder against his side.

"Mm, that's true," Lance said, thinking. " He said, _'the girl will do._ ' I mean how creepy is that?"

"He probably didn't mean anything weird about it," Pidge said rolling her eyes.

"Pidge please," Lance baited, covering her face in his hand and pushing her aside. "This is guy talk."

"Puh-lease!" Pidge snorted, grabbing at his wrist. "I could beat you guys on the training deck any day!"

The guys were silent for a second, thinking, as she glared them down.

"No denying that," Shiro finally spoke, a grin on his face. "Just be careful and contact us when you can."

"Understood," Pidge said, straightening her back and instantly becoming serious. She resisted the urge to salute. Honestly, sometimes Shiro brought that type of behavior out of them. Born leader? Honest truth.

"Seriously though, Pidge, be careful," Hunk said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Not all guys are as nice as me."

Pidge laughed. "Got that right."

Shiro cleared his throat, pulling at the collar of his suit, red dusting the bridge of his nose. "Did…did well Matt or your parents talk to you about boys? Or girls? Whatever. But did they…uh-"

"Oh quiznak," Pidge said, her face going red as well. "Shiro, stop. It's not like that. Holy crow. I just want to examine his parts-"

"Which parts?" Lance started again, snickering.

Pidge took a couple threatening steps towards the blue Paladin. "I swear, Lance, I'm going to-"

"Sorry to interrupt," T'Agog spoke loudly from the side. All Paladins turned to face him. Pidge stopped her struggling as Hunk held her back. Keith stared at the stranger, distrust evident on his face. Shiro's face gave away nothing and Lance took in the rest of the aliens, trying to deduce their intentions. "We should probably head out soon. We have wounded we need to tend to."

Shiro nodded as Hunk released Pidge. "Understood," the leader said. He turned to the green Paladin, squeezing her shoulder. "Keep in contact."

She nodded, tapping at her helmet. They'll always be in each others ears if necessary.

They watched her go, fawning over the taller alien, asking all sorts of questions about his armor and mechanical bits.

"I can practically see the hearts shooting off her," Lance said, nodding as if in deep thought.

"I don't trust them," Keith repeated, arms crossed.

Lance sighed. "I might actually agree with Mullet."

"At least she gets to check out more alien tech," Hunk said. "How long are we staying?" He didn't say it but they all understood what he was really asking. _How long do we have to leave her alone here?_

"We have to learn more about this opposing group," Shiro answered. "See what we can do to help. There have been abductions and we have to put a stop to it."

"I think our little Pidge is in love," Lance continued, pausing as he came to a realization. His face fell suddenly. "Wait a second, who would have thought _Pidge_ would find someone before me?"

Four hands went into the air.

(Hunk raised both his hands).

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 _Authors Note:_

It's a joke, of course lol.

Next chapter may or may not be a continuation of this. There _will_ be a continuation of this one I just don't know when because my mind has been really interested in potential Allura and Pidge interactions.

Again, feel free to share ideas! I can only think of so much lol. I got two more chapters in mind but I'm honestly running out. What situations are "uniquely" (a term I'm using _very_ loosely) for girls? Help a girl out! Lol

Okay! Until next time.

-Magma


	3. Others Know (For All the Wrong Reasons)

Chapter 3: **Others Know. (For All the Wrong Reasons)**

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Pidge doesn't really act any differently from the rest of the Paladin's. Yes, she has a personality of her own but she's still a _Paladin_. And though this was a very big deal the fact that she was a girl seemed more important in this situation. This time it was because _other_ individuals knew she was a girl. And for all the wrong reasons.

Turns out T'Agog's group was the bad one and those "scoundrels" they saw fighting against him were trying to _save_ the hostages and people they kidnapped.

Pidge realized something was wrong quite soon after leaving her friends. When they reached the bottom of the canyon she saw it was empty. T'Agog explained to her that it was safer for everyone to stay hidden within the network of caves and tunnels peppered along the edge of the canyon walls. That made sense. She didn't question it.

What she didn't like was when they later asked to take her helmet. But first they entered the caverns and T'Agog showed her around. He gave her a look at where and how they grew their food. There were glowing rocks, hot to the touch, that provided light and warmth throughout the tunnels and certain plants had adapted to grow in the environment. He led her to a large underground water source and guided her to a large grotto littered with makeshift shelters. The entire area was clearly lived in with different natives moving about, doing their daily business. Some eyed her curiously but she shrugged it off. She would have done the same if someone new entered their home.

" _Pidge,"_ her intercom crackled to life as Shiro contacted her. _"What's your status?"_

"Just entered the cave system down here," she responded immediately. "It's so cool, Shiro! They have sustainable water and a bunch of food growing down here. They run their electricity and technology off of specialized _rocks_! I have to get a sample of it!"

She heard Shiro chuckle. _"Alright. Keep me updated. Have fun. Find out what you can."_

" _Don't have_ too _much fun!"_ she heard Lance call out from the background.

Soon after that T'Agog took her to the side and allowed her to examine his mechanical parts, which were laced with different wires and chips powered by the stones that formed in these very caverns. A few natives gathered around, curious as to who the newcomer was. Then some of them asked about her helmet. They were interested, they said. They wanted to see how much her technology differed from theirs.

She hesitated. Something felt off.

One of the first times Lance had trusted strangers he was left handcuffed in the middle of nowhere, his helmet too far to contact them. She was always cautious after that, even if she never said it.

From what she could tell not that much time had passed yet. She knew it would still be a while until Shiro checked on her. She wanted to give T'Agog no reason to be suspicious of her yet and frankly, T'Agog didn't do much to make her that apprehensive of him either.

She handed him the helmet.

"Remarkable," he murmured, turning it around in his hands.

She nodded, forcing a smile as the men gathered around to see what their apparent leader held. She took this time to take a better look at where she was. Her surrounding was raggedy and run down but she honestly didn't expect much for a makeshift shelter inside caves.

What did T'Agog say to them?

" _Aliens come from all over and seek refuge with us."_

Her eyes narrowed, shifting from each individual moving from tent to tent or gathered by small fires.

Where were all the children? The women?

Pidge paled. This wasn't good.

There were abductions, Shiro had said.

She wanted to scream. More in frustration and anger at herself than anything else.

Abductions. And she walked right into their hideout.

 _That's why he was so interested in me,_ she thought to herself, trying to look around discretely for an escape route. _Rare human specimen. I wonder how much I'd go for in the space black-market,_ she thought wryly to herself.

"Paladin," T'Agog spoke. His voice, before smooth and pleasingly deep, now felt like poison in her ears. "Would you like to go see where the rest of the refugees stay?"

Pidge swallowed. _Refugees? If that's what you want to call them._ But this was her chance to get more information. _Don't jump to conclusions_ , she told was no clear exit. If she ran she'd have to find her way through the winding tunnels and the natives sure knew them better than she did. There was no guarantee she'd make it out. But this way… "Sure," she said out loud. "But let me get my helmet back, I need to keep Shiro updated."

T'Agog seemed to hesitate for the briefest second and that confirmed her suspicions. Something was wrong.

He handed her helmet with a smile. "Of course. Would you mind if we got it back after? Some of our technicians would love to continue looking at it."

Pidge laughed nervously, pulling it on. She gave them a hesitant thumbs up, before letting him know that no one should take it apart. Only look.

Her com crackled to life.

"Shiro, checking up on me again?" she asked, grinning falsely.

" _What?"_ Shiro answered. _"You called me. Is everything alright?"_

"Nope," the green paladin replied happily, waving at the natives who listened to her side of the conversation.

" _No?"_ There was silence for a second as Shiro pieced together what was happening. _"Something's wrong but you can't tell us."_

"You got it!"

" _Are you hurt?"_ Shiro asked, voice strained. In the background from his side she could hear muffled and frantic voices. She could make out a couple words. Her team was worried and angry. She heard Keith yell that he _said_ they couldn't trust them. _"Pidge."_

"No," Pidge replied quickly. "Sorry. The other guys are really loud. Hm…" She hesitated, emphasizing her words. "It did feel like there was too much testosterone here." She hoped he understood the last sentence was not meant for them but meant for her current situation.

A couple beats of silence passed. _"I see,"_ Shiro answered. Pidge let out a nervous sigh of relief. She was sure he didn't understand completely but it was good enough. _"We're coming, Katie. Just hold on."_

"Awesome, thanks," she ended, chippering back up to not arouse suspicion. T'Agog looked a little restless. "Well, they're going to show me some of the deeper cave systems where the…uh…refugees are. So I'll be there."

" _Understood."_

Her eyes met the white, pupilless eyes of her captor.

Captor.

Because that's exactly what he was.

"Bye, Shiro," she said quietly, pulling off her helmet.

T'Agog held out his hand, waiting. "I apologize. We try to avoid bringing in too many electronics into the deeper caverns. It muddles the glowing rocks."

Most of his body was technology but Pidge held her tongue.

T'Agog led her around smoldering campfires, over steep ledges, and under hanging clotheslines. She felt eyes from the darkness of the tents as she walked by and they reminded her of the time she got separated from the Paladins and met those colorful, fluffy aliens. But these eyes felt much more sinister and she could almost feel chills run down the circuits of her suit. She kept her fingers close to her Bayard.

T'Agog politely greeted his men as they passed, holding his arm out to the side to stop her briefly.

"Just one moment," he said, smiling. He whispered to another native, pointing ahead towards a couple more shelters nestled in the stone. She could hear music and laughter and almost the almost muffled sound of…

"Did someone yell?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"Ah, it's nothing," T'Agog replied, his back to her. He continued to gesture to some of the natives and she watched them rush into the shelters. "Probably some of the younger men training," he said, turning to smile at her.

Her frown deepened.

The music lulled and the laughter stopped.

"They didn't have to stop for my sake," she said slowly, almost methodically. "It's been a while since I've been to a party." T'Agog chuckled and she suddenly didn't like the way it sounded. "Maybe it's not my kind of party," she suggested, maintaining eye contact with him. His face hardened and she knew she had to take it down a few notches. She couldn't let him know she was suspicious but she was getting _mad_. She could only assume what happened here…what happened to women who were captured. Pidge smiled. _Careful… Careful._ "After all, I'm a Paladin!" she said, laughing. "Work comes first."

T'Agog watched her for a moment longer as his men returned, nodding at him to continue. "Indeed," the larger alien said. "Come, there's lots to show you."

They passed the once rowdy part of the cavern and she saw aliens give her once-over through the curtains. One gave her a wink and she wanted to gag.

"Excuse them," T'Agog said. "They are young boys and don't know how to act around a powerful, young Paladin as yourself."

Pidge had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. That was no excuse. That doesn't give them the right to do stupid stuff without any repercussions.

The green Paladin tried to listen closely as they walked through the rest of the cavern but she heard nothing unusual. She almost wrote off what she heard as nothing but she knew better.

She followed him deeper into the caverns, feeling her skin crawl. She was so _happy_ before. T'Agog seemed so _nice_. They were going to help this planet and put a stop to some alien trafficking. And now she was stuck underground, her lion and fellow Paladins a bit too far for comfort. But she felt better not being oblivious to her situation. If it came down to it she would fight.

Her fingers brushed against her Bayard. She may not be as strong as the guys on her team but she was fast, agile, and _smart_. Her Bayard let her adapt during battles in ways that the rest of the Bayards did not. It wasn't just used for the offensive. It let her outmaneuver her opponents and shift the battle to favor her. Pidge exhaled slowly, staring intently at T'Agog's broad back. Strong and, from the skin she could see, strewn with scratches and scars.

But he had no weapon.

Pidge smiled to herself.

He underestimated her.

They walked for what felt like forever but it was only a few moments. Shiro and the rest of the team must be on their way.

"Right through here," T'Agog said, gesturing towards a small opening in the rocks, leading to darkness.

"I'll follow you," Pidge said politely.

"Ah, how do you say it?" T'Agog considered carefully, smiling. "Ladies first."

"I insist," Pidge said, gesturing as well. She'd keep this up as long as she needed to. She smirked. Lance did annoying things like this all the time. She was immune.

Finally T'Agog's eyes narrowed. "I do not understand why you hesitate."

"I'm not hesitating."

His hand shot out faster than she could react, the dim lighting in the tunnel only making it worse. His strong, metallic fingers wrapped tightly around the crook of her elbow as her hand instinctively flew to push him away.

"Let go!"

"I cannot," T'Agog said, shaking his head as he dragged her inside. "A human. A Paladin. And a female to top it off." He laughed to himself as she followed him blindly into the darkness.

Of course. His kind would have adapted to this type of environment. He could _see_. Pidge bit back a groan. She missed her helmet.

"You will be quite the merchandise to sell," T'Agog said as a hazy light filled the room once more.

 _Bless those glowing rocks_ , Pidge thought, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted. She looked around with a gasp. The walls were littered with indents in the walls, barred from top to bottom, all kinds of different aliens sheltered inside. "Women go for quite the high price."

"Yeah, I'm a girl." Pidge rolled her eyes. "I get it. But you talk to much."

She pulled out her Bayard, the blade coming to life, and jabbed him in the side. The fingers wrapped around her tightened for a second as his muscles contracted but soon enough the rippling current blew him back. He let out a loud yell and collapsed, struggling to move. As electricity coursed through him she swung her arm as the Bayard quickly shifted to her needs, allowing her to grapple to one of the higher cells. She slid her weapon across the rusted bars and they crumbled before her.

"I'm here to get you out," she said, holding out her hand to the scared and huddled aliens before her. For a moment none of them moved. But then what she could only assume was one of the younger ones approached her. "Hold on to me," she said, smiling as the child wrapped her legs around her waist. Pidge was saddened and furious. They had _children_. They were selling them too.

She swung back down to the ground, slicing open more bars as she went, shouting to help each other make their way to the ground. She knew this was impulsive but she had faith that the rest of the Paladins would come through.

Sure enough, she heard explosions.

T'Agog started to rise.

Pidge turned to look at the child at her side. "I'm going to have to put you down now," she said, smiling softly.

"Why?" the kid asked nervously, setting her feet on the rocky floor.

Pidge stretched her arms, eyes on the opponent before her, as she readied herself for the fight, her Bayard glowing menacingly. "I've got to kick some _ass_."

.

* * *

.

Later, Shiro told her he heard her voice echo through the caverns and reprimanded her for cursing in front of an alien child.

In response Pidge handed over T'Agog to Shiro and though her face with littered with deep scratches and her suit with small dents, she flashed him a pearly white grin.

.

* * *

.

While she was dueling it out with T'Agog the other Paladins had fought on foot, leaving their lions out in the canyon. Now Shiro is normally very patient when it comes to the team. They pull pranks on each other and do dumb things, but if someone on _his_ team was in danger…well, he wasn't afraid to let hell break loose to protect them.

So when Pidge hitched a ride in the black lion she told Shiro it wasn't fair to scold her for swearing because she _definitely_ heard the rest of them cursing out the hostile aliens for threatening her life as well.

"I appreciate it though," she said, holding on to the back of his seat as they flew toward the castleship. "I didn't know you had such an extensive vocabulary. I feel like you threw in some space curses too."

"You pick up a lot of different things when you spend a year away from Earth," Shiro said with a grin. "Looks like you didn't need us saving you anyway."

Pidge shrugged. "Hey, but look!" She stuck out her hand, presenting a glowing rock. "It's still a little hot but its cooling down and I got a sample!"

"When did you even find the time to get that?" Shiro asked, navigating the lion inside.

"T'Agog threw me into a wall and a piece came loose so I stashed it in my boot," she stated nonchalantly, holding the rock up to the light as they descended.

"He threw you into a wall?"

"Can't wait to see what I can learn from it," she said, staring at the stone in her hand gleefully as they walked out of the ship.

"How hard did he have to throw you to knock the stones off?" Shiro continued, upset.

"I got more too," she said excitedly, plopping down onto the floor in front of the black lion. She yanked off her boot and turned it upside down, little glowing pebbles scattering across the tiles.

Shiro stared at her, mouth agape. "Just _how_ many times did he throw you against a wall?"

"That's not important," she waved him off before throwing the rocks back into her boot. She stood, wearing one shoe, the other held tightly in her hand. "What's important is I get to study these ASAP!"

She ran, her bare foot slapping against the cold floor, chattering excitedly.

Shiro watched her go.

He didn't understand. Was this a girl thing? Or a nerd thing? A Pidge thing?

"He threw you into a wall?"

.

* * *

.

 _Authors Note:_

Lmao Shiro yea. A lot probably.

Is it still a one-shot collection if this chapter is technically a continuation of the previous one? ….whatever lol

Also if you have any questions/requests/ideas leave a comment! I'd really appreciate it! Can use all the help I can get.

You can also find me on tumblr as magmawrites. Give the chapters a reblog/like there if you want! I'd love it! Still dipping my toe in the VLD fandom so it's a bit slow going. :'(

Okay thanks for reading!

Allura and Pidge coming up!

-Magma


	4. GIRLS Night?

AN: Fair warning this chapter can get a bit silly lol. Links to certain outfits are at the end of the chapter.

Chapter 4: **GIRLS Night?**

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* * *

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Pidge inhaled deeply, gathering the courage to do what she sought out to do. She lingered out in the hallway, pacing by a closed door. Finally, with a raised fist she exhaled slowly and knocked.

In that brief moment she wondered if she should just turn around and go but before she could decide the door slid open.

"What's up?"

Pidge hesitated.

She sighed.

"I need your help."

.

* * *

.

It took a few more days but eventually Pidge walked through the castleship in search of Allura. She checked the resident princess' usual spots and still couldn't find her. She was on her way to Allura's bedroom when she spotted the space mice. And where the space mice were, Allura was surely around.

"Can you lead me to her?" Pidge asked, bending down to give them a gentle scratch behind their ears. Sure enough the four mice scrambled down the hallway before squeezing through the vents that led straight into the Alteans bedroom.

Pidge hesitated, fiddling with the hem of her shirt. She didn't know _why_ she was nervous exactly. Allura _told_ her to come by. She practically _begged_ her to do this with her. After a couple more minutes of hesitation the mice started to peek out of the vent, tilting their heads in confusion.

With a sigh Pidge knocked on the door.

And waited.

And waited.

Weird. She thought Allura would open the door right away. She knocked again.

And waited.

When the door finally slid open Pidge realized why it took the princess so long. Her hair was a disheveled mess and she was wearing her night gown, clearly wrinkled from sleep. The Altean yawned and blinked, her gaze moving left and right. She was about to shut the door when Pidge realized Allura didn't even _see_ her. She was too tired and apparently she was too _short_.

"Sorry to wake you Allura," Pidge said.

Allura started and looked down. "Oh, Pidge. I apologize I was just taking a nap. Yesterday took a lot out of me."

Of course it did. Pidge didn't blame her. They had received a distress signal from a foreign planet and when they landed they realized that the natives were ancient creatures, with memories of thousands of years ago. Memories that seemed to fade, twist, and shift as all the years passed because once they realized that some of their rescuers were Alteans they became hostile. They blamed Allura and Coran for all of their misery. If the Alteans had stopped Zarkon all those years ago the universe wouldn't be suffering.

Yesterday had been mentally exhausting for most of them but Pidge wasn't surprised that Allura had taken it the worst. She has to shoulder this burden herself. Sure, Pidge wanted her family back more than anything but Allura…she didn't even have the option. Her entire species…

Pidge sighed. That's why she finally decided to take up the Princess' offer.

"If you're tired I can come back," the green Paladin said, pointing her thumb at the end of the hall.

"Oh no, please," Allura said, shaking her head. "I slept long enough. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Uh, well…I was just wondering if you maybe-sort-of-wanted-to-I-don't-know-have a-girls-night?" Pidge said rapidly, exhaling loudly. She looked up at Allura with a small smile on her face.

Allura looked confused. "What? I'm sorry Pidge you said that too quickly."

Sharp squeaking directed both of their attention to the floor. The space mice where gesturing wildly. One had its little arms spread out and walked carefully, as if modeling a dress. Another ran its teeny fingers across its face and another through its hair.

Allura squealed, clapping her hands together happily. "You wish to try on clothes and do makeup and hair and spend time with me, Pidge?" the princess asked, grasping Pidge by the shoulders, trembling with excitement.

Pidge almost hesitated. She _did_ miss doing some of these things…and after all Allura could use a pick me up.

"Yes," she said confidently. "Let's do it."

"Yes!" Allura cheered, yanking her into the room.

"Wa-wait! Allura!" Pidge shouted, grasping the doorframe.

"Let's get started immediately!" Allura said, rummaging around her room. She opened her vanity drawer and scooped out tons of strange looking makeup, scattering them across the counter surface before running to her wardrobe and scooping out clothes in bundles before tossing them onto her bed. "I am so excited! We can gossip about the other Paladin's, and paint each others toe nails, and braid each others hair-"

She went on and on and Pidge fingered her short locks nervously. "Maybe _some_ of those things," she said, wondering how braids would look with such minimal hair. "But first, I was going to get a bunch of food from the kitchen."

"Food?"

Pidge shrugged. "Yeah. Sometimes when my dad and brother were out or staying late doing some project my mom…my mom and I would have these girls nights." Pidge smiled to herself, thinking back to her time on Earth before the Galaxy Garrison. "She would put on a movie but we wouldn't really watch it. It would play in the background while we ate raw cookie dough or licked some cake batter off the spoon." Pidge hesitated. "We'd sit on the floor. I'd sit between her legs and she would sometimes braid my hair while I painted her toenails and…"

Pidge trailed off, looking up to see Allura gazing at her sadly. "Oh, Pidge."

"It's nothing to be sad about!" Pidge said, feeling her cheeks turn pink. The Paladin crossed her arms, almost pouting. "I mean, my mom is okay. I know that. She's alone and sometimes I feel sad about that…she has our dog I guess…but she doesn't know what happened to my brother and father…or me…"

"Pidge…"

Pidge shook her head. "It's fine but yeah. I figured…maybe we both could use a pick me up."

Allura didn't miss Pidge's usage of the word _we_ but she said nothing. The princess wasn't naïve. She was sure all the Paladins noticed how much of an effect the events from the day before had on her. But perhaps the events Pidge had planned for tonight weren't only for Allura's benefit…but for herself as well.

Allura smiled. "I always wanted to try some of your Earth recipes. Perhaps we could eat this raw cookie dough together."

Pidge smiled softly. "Yeah. I mean it won't be the traditional Earth style because we don't have the ingredients but we can do our best."

As they walked down the hall Allura spoke. "I don't understand. Why would you eat something raw? Is it a vegetable? A fruit?"

Pidge snorted. "Not even close. Tastes a whole lot better with none of the healthy benefits."

Allura laughed. "Perfect."

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* * *

.

"This feels nice," Allura said, poking at the facemask Pidge had gently applied to her skin. "It's hardening."

"I think that's supposed to happen," Pidge said, squinting at the little container in her hand. It was blank. There were no labels. Absolutely nothing. "I think…"

"You think?" Allura said, scooting closer and examining the container as well. "What do you mean you think? Haven't you used this before?"

"No," Pidge said, wincing. "I sort of visited Lance before this and asked him for advice."

Allura stared at her for a second before bursting into laughter, falling onto her back. "I should have known. If anyone in the Castle of Lions would know how to care for their skin it would be Lance."

Pidge laughed with her, joining her as they lay on her bedroom floor, staring up at the ceiling.

"I forgot how freeing dresses feel sometimes," Pidge said, raising her legs into the air. The hem of her dress fell to her waist but she wasn't embarrassed or self-conscious. It was just Allura.

"I always wondered why your legs were so clean shaven back at the Garrison," a voice deeper than Allura's spoke.

Pidge yelped before sitting straight up, yanking the old, slightly big and loose, borrowed dress down to cover her underwear.

"Lance!"

The blue Paladin stood by the door, holding some space fruit in his hand.

"What's up ladies," he said, grinning as he walked into the room. "Wait, can I come in?" he asked, looking at them nervously for a second. He knew his family didn't like it when he barged into their bedrooms.

Pidge rolled her eyes but Allura just giggled and nodded.

"What's up ladies," Lance said again but with more fervor. "I could hear you guys laughing from the end of the hall and my curiosity peaked. Glad I came to check it out."

"I told you we should have shut the door," Pidge muttered, pouting and avoiding eye contact with Lance.

"We're having a girls night," Allura explained, tucking her legs beneath her.

"Aw, yes," Lance said, taking a seat beside them, his legs crossed. "Nice braids, Allura." Lance said, snickering. Allura's hair looked like the space mice tried to make a nest in it.

"Hey!" Pidge said, affronted. "I did my best!"

"Where'd you get that dress Pidge?" Lance asked, reaching over to take a scoop of food from their bowl.

Allura smacked his hand away. "It is mine. From when I was a child."

Lance moped, pretending to tend to his hand. "Looks nice. Is that why your legs are always shaved? Because you wear shorts?"

Pidge shrugged. "Not really. I could care less. Honestly, I just like how the sheets feel in bed when my legs are smooth."

"Very true," Allura said, nodding sincerely.

"I can't say I understand that feeling personally," Lance said. "But hey! If you guys are having a party in here we should invite the whole space ship!"

"Girls night, Lance," Pidge said.

Lance ignored her, staring at his fingernails. "I sure could use a pedicure."

Pidge was about to say something again when her eyes fell on the unlabeled jar of face cream she got from the blue Paladin. Without him she wouldn't have even had the nerve to do this. And honestly, she was enjoying spending some time with Allura.

"Hey," Pidge said, bending down to talk to the space mice. She poked the largest one in the stomach. "Can I ask you guys a favor?" The mice nodded fervently, rubbing their heads against her hand. "Can you go bother the other Paladins and Coran until they come up here? Four of them and four of you. Think you can handle it?"

All of them saluted before slipping through the vents, determined to succeed in their mission.

.

* * *

.

Coran arrived first. He was calm. He always wished the space mice would talk to him more (if only to make him a sandwich) but this was his big break! His opportunity. He followed the little mouse and knocked on Allura's door cautiously.

"Princess?" he said, confusion evident on his face when the door opened quickly. What he saw before him he didn't expect. Pidge stood before him. He recognized that dress. It was one of Allura's favorites when she was a child. It was a simple knee length dress, with a white sleeveless top and a layered pastel green skirt tied together with a flower belt at the waist. "You aren't the princess," Coran said, hands on his hip.

"Well, you aren't Prince Charming either, Coran," Pidge said, mimicking his pose.

"I don't know who this Prince Charming is but I certainly am not."

Pidge laughed as Coran glanced into the room. That's when he noticed Allura painting Lance's fingernails as they sat cross-legged on the floor.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

"I think they're planning on opening a space salon," Pidge said, taking a bite out of the strange fruit that was previously in Lance's possession. "You want in?"

Coran stared for a moment longer.

The older man shrugged, twirling his mustache. "Well, alright then."

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* * *

.

Shiro came next. He ran into the room thinking something was wrong. (Pidge had to learn alternate ways to stop giving the oldest Paladin an anxiety attack).

The four seated on the floor looked up at him as he breathed heavily, frantically looking around the room for any threats.

"I thought- the mouse sounded so excited and I just-" he stopped, his brain finally registering what he was seeing. "What are you…Lance are you wearing a dress?"

"Yeah," the blue Paladin replied casually. "A little tight around the shoulders but I still rock it."

"Told you should have gone strapless," Pidge said coolly. "But I got to say, the mermaid style suits you."

Lance grinned, pressing away the wrinkles on his navy blue dress. "And this v neck makes my boobs look great," he snorted, turning to address Shiro once more. "Maybe Allura has a black one for you but I'm not sure how it'll fit."

"Or we could just do your nails," Pidge said, gesturing at all the different colored bottles before her.

Shiro frowned. "I'm not sure…"

"I think purple is your color," Pidge continued, picking one of the darker shades. "And then I'll add a sort of glitter coat and some dots for stars. If it works out it'll look like a galaxy."

Shiro looked down at her smiling face. Maybe _this_ was the optimistic and _happy_ sister Matt would sometimes mention.

"Okay, Pidge." Shiro said, taking a seat beside her. "Only if you promise my nails will look better than Corans."

.

* * *

.

Hunk came next.

He didn't even question what he walked into. He only pouted. "Aw quiznak! I missed the manicures? I followed the mouse right away but it led me to the kitchen first," he said, sniffling.

"Guess it knew we'd need more snacks now that the rest of you are here," Pidge said, petting the newly returned space mouse. "Thanks, Hunk!"

"You can put the food on my dresser," Allura said, pointing at where to go.

.

* * *

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Keith arrived last.

The space mouse sat in his hair, tugging at his locks as if he were directing a horse. It stopped its incessant pulling and pointed to the door.

"Allura's room?" he asked, looking up. The mouse squeaked. He could hear laughter and muffled voices coming from inside and hesitated. "I don't know if I should interrupt," he said, addressing the mouse. In response it pulled at his hair. "Ow! Okay, okay. Holy crow."

He raised his hand to knock but the door slid open.

"Thought I heard your annoying voice," Lance said with a grin.

Keith looked him up and down. "Are you wearing a dress?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? No, I'm obviously naked," Lance said sarcastically, eyebrow raised. "Now come on in you're missing all the fun!"

Lance pulled the red Paladin inside and Keith quickly caught the mouse that slipped from his hair at the sudden movement.

"What-" Keith took in everyone else's appearance. "Hunk…is that lipstick?"

"Yeah," Hunk said, looking at himself in the mirror. He tilted his chin, trying to find the perfect angle. "I don't think this is my shade though."

"Nah, try this," Pidge said, tossing him some liquid lipstick. Hunk caught it thanking her, before applying a generous amount.

"Wow Pidge, you did a good job," Keith heard Shiro say. The leader held his hand in the air, admiring his prettied up nails.

"Galaxies?" Keith asked.

"Yep," Pidge said, screwing the nail polish bottle closed.

"Allura's dresses?" Keith said, gesturing at the youngest Paladin and Lance.

"Yeah," Lance said, holding up a long, red, embellished dress in Keith's direction. "Hey, I think this one might fit you."

"No."

"But Keith-"

"No."

"I'll wear it." They all turned to the person who said it.

"Coran?"

"What? That dress is strapless. I have been using the training deck more and the proof is in my arms," the Altean said, flexing his muscles. "Might as well show it off."

"Come on, Keith," Pidge said, tugging at his long boots. Shiro shifted over so Keith could take a seat beside her.

"Ah, Pidge, I know," Allura piped up, smiling brightly. "You can practice your braiding on Keith!"

Keith looked down at Pidge's smiling face, eyes shining-

"… _fine_."

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* * *

.

"Your hair looks magnificent," Allura complimented, running a finger across the bumps. "Much cleaner and smoother work. Good job, Pidge!"

"Forget about that," Pidge said, now standing beside Hunk at the vanity table. "Hunk, I didn't know you were so good at eyeliner."

"That wing," Lance was saying in awe. "You can cut steel with that wing. And you know how to contour? I didn't know that."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Lance," Hunk said, sifting through the different makeup items. "I am an enigma. A mystery. The one who-"

"We brought new snacks!" Coran announced from the doorway as he and Shiro walked in, drinks and food in hand. "Out of the way Paladins! I'm not used to walking in a dress and I'd rather not fall. It would be a waste of food and embarrassing if you caught a sight of my knickers!"

Pidge snorted, her eyes meeting Allura's. They both shared the same thought. Girl's night doesn't necessarily _have_ to mean what it says. This was much, _much_ better _._

.

* * *

.

"Now what?" Keith spoke. His hair was done and he was dressed up in the frilliest pink dress Allura owned. It was one shouldered, long, and fluffy. So fluffy, in fact, he was pretty sure a couple of the space mice were lost in the ruffles. The rest of the Paladins were lying on the ground, full of food and starting to doze off.

"Keith, you can't sit like cross legged like that when you are wearing a dress," Allura reprimanded.

"But I still have my pants on," he said, lifting the skirts.

"Ah, my eyes!" Pidge yelled, throwing her arms across her face, feigning hurt. "My innocence!"

"Keith, how could you!" Hunk fake sobbed, gathering Pidge into his arms. "Poor Pidge."

"You _monster_ ," Lance said, his face serious.

Keith looked towards Shiro, silently asking for help but the black Paladin shook his head. "How could you?" Shiro said, leaning over to pat Pidge's head.

"Thank you, Shiro," she said, patting his metal arm. "Maybe Keith shouldn't be invited to the next girls night."

"Good!" Keith said with a huff.

"But he's the only one that is at my level of attractiveness while wearing a dress," Coran finally spoke up after watching the whole situation in silence.

"Yeah," Lance said. "If that level is _zero_."

"Oooh!" the whole room started laughing.

When their laughter died down they all sat in silence as the sky darkened long ago around them.

"What do you usually do now, Pidge?" Allura asked, referring to her time spent with her mother.

Pidge hesitated, laying in-between Hunk and Shiro. From what she could tell Hunk had already fallen asleep from the way he was breathing and if she had to guess Lance did too. It was too quiet. She craned her neck up, trying to catch Keith's eyes.

"I was kidding about not inviting you, you know?" she said.

He smiled softly. "Yeah, I know."

Pidge leaned back again, yawning. "Now we make up a story," she said. "Someone starts off with a sentence and the next person continues it. We do it until we fall asleep."

"That sounds nice," Allura mumbled, already curled up around a pillow.

They started a story about five kids who found their home in each other.

.

* * *

.

Authors Note:

I posted this much later than I thought I would. Been busy! I'll be going to medical school in a month or two and uprooting my life is tough lol

Now if anyone wanted to draw something based on these scenes that would be amazing LOL. Thanks for reading! I'll be back with more but ideas are much appreciated!

-Magma

Inspirations: FF doesn't allow for links but you can find them on my AO3 post or Tumblr post!

Next chapter will probably focus on Keith and Pidge.


	5. A Hairy Situation

The next few one-shots might be about certain anxieties the different members of the space family might feel. It'll be centered around Pidge of course but everyone should remember that _even defenders of the universe have insecurities._ This one is about Keith and Pidge.

.

* * *

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Chapter 5: **A Hairy Situation**

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* * *

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"Take cover!"

Through the chaos Pidge couldn't even pinpoint who screamed those words but she took them to heart and scrambled across tiled floors, taking shelter behind a large pillar. She crouched down low, breathing heavily as shots from the enemy continued to fire around her, creating spider web cracks across the floor to ceiling windows several yards in front of her.

Someone slammed into her and she almost sent a shock of electricity through them before she realized the armor wasn't grey and purple but red and white.

"Keith!"

"Sorry," he huffed, yanking her back behind the enormous column just as a laser splintered the floor right where her head had been. "Didn't realize you were hiding here." Keith hunkered low beside her, his armor looking damaged and frayed, blackened with soot and gunpowder, and Pidge was sure hers was looking the same.

"This isn't good," she said, wincing as the ceiling started to crumble around them, sending up clouds of smoke and pellets of rock and stone. "I don't know how much more damage this building can take."

Keith hunched over close to her, raising his arms as if he was going to embrace her in order to block small pieces of concrete from landing on her head. The other Paladins were shouting in their ears through their helmet, letting them know they made it safely outside.

"They were closer to the doors," Pidge said with a sigh. "At least they made it. If we wanted to make it out the same way we'd have to blast through an army."

"And we have no time to wait," Keith said grudgingly. The floor trembled when a large pipe fell from above. Columns were crumbling and the enemy fire continued- and it wouldn't stop. These were robots shooting at them and they were disposable to the enemy. Pidge briefly thought of Rover. _She_ didn't think they were disposable but-

"Pidge, we have to go," Keith said, standing up.

The green Paladin glanced around the collapsing column, ducking back just as quick when a laser streaked against the edge of her helmet.

"Okay, let's go."

The building rumbled as debris continued to fall. The two Paladins ran, jumping over stone and exposed piping as the enemies continued to shoot at them. Pidge could feel heat radiating from shots that made it too close. They ran towards the glass window as it continued to crack under the stress of the falling building and the bullet holes scattered across its surface. She could see their reflections, jagged lines cutting through their bodies as bits of the window started to fracture- but most of her attention was on the large body of grey and purple closing in on them like a large wave at sea-

"Keep close, Pidge!" she heard Keith shout.

But then there was only a _hot_ , bright light and a sharp pain in her head as she was thrown to the floor.

"Pidge!"

Her helmet flew off, cracked and broken, sizzling from the laser that made contact. Pidge groaned, her sight going fuzzy and the sounds of fighting around her muffling. _Not good._ She groped for her useless helmet. It did its job. Her head hurt- she hissed. Hurt _badly_. But she felt no wetness. She wasn't bleeding. But that didn't mean she was out of danger. Just as her fingers wrapped around the cracked metal of her helmet she felt someone yank her to her feet.

"Don't put it on," Keith said, practically dragging her to the glass. "Hold on to me."

She did what she was told almost mechanically. Trust her fellow Paladins. She couldn't think straight right now, the pain was too much-

A shatter-

Free fall-

Her hair whipped through the air briefly before Keith wrapped himself around her, pressing her against his chest, his arms securely cushioning her exposed head. He turned mid-flight and his back made contact with the ground and air rushed out of him-

"Are you okay?" she managed to say, rolling off him.

"Are _you_?" he asked, struggling to his knees. "Your head-"

"A bit better now," she said, coughing as dust billowed around them. The building continued to crumble. Still she felt that constant pressure- that warmth and intensity-

"Fire," Keith said, as if reading her mind. "We have to go. It'll blow-"

"Yeah," she said, head still spinning. She got up, stumbling before Keith leaned down, throwing her arm over his shoulders as he wrapped his around her waist.

"Let's go."

He took it slow for her but she could feel the urgency. There were smaller explosions behind them sending heat waves as little pieces of flaming wreckage flew past them. Pidge heard Keith talking to someone, surely the other Paladin's, but she found it hard to focus. She couldn't take another hit like that to the head- even in her condition she knew that much.

The ground rolled and the air seemed to still for a second before-

The explosion was so loud she heard _nothing_ and they both rocketed to the floor and she felt fire-

"Shit, _shit_ -"

She felt Keiths hands on her body- patting frantically-

"What-"

"Don't move," he said through clenched teeth. A few seconds passed and she could smell smoke and char as the ground burned beside them.

And in the distance she heard roars.

"You're riding with me," Keith said, hauling her up as the rest of the Paladin's arrived. "I don't trust you to drive your lion right now."

"Don't baby me," she managed to lace together.

She thought she saw Keith smile.

"I still smell smoke," Pidge said, coughing violently as she slumped beside the red lions console. She looked up as Keith navigated back to the castleship.

"Yeah," he started grimly. "That's probably our armor. Or your…"

Pidge narrowed her eyes. The way he trailed off-

"My what?"

Keith glanced down at her briefly, hesitating.

"My _what_ , Keith?"

She didn't get it. Was she dying? No way. Where's her helmet anyway? Oh. In her lap. _Man_ , her head was spinning. Coran was going to _kill_ her for damaging the suit.

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she tucked her head against her legs, wrapping her arms around her knees, trying to lessen the throbbing pain.

"What a fun mission, huh?" she said sarcastically, voice muffled against her suit.

Keith was silent.

Her head hurt too much to think about it.

.

* * *

.

They walked through the castle halls silently and slowly some time after all the Paladins returned and recuperated a bit. Coran saw to her major injuries but everyone was strangely quiet. The boys- _her_ boys were extremely apologetic and though they didn't say anything she could tell they felt guilty for leaving her and Keith inside. There was nothing they could do though, she told them that. There was no other option.

Keith was silent throughout the whole ordeal. He didn't even rise to Lance's bait when the blue Paladin started teasing the two. Keith was a constant presence around her for the next couple of hours, which was strange at first but she understood. She turned the corner and he kept pace with her, which she appreciated. There was a slight tension in his jaw, as if he were clenching his teeth and his movements were stiff. She could tell he was concerned. In his own way.

"Are you going to follow me around all day?" Pidge asked, the corner of her mouth lifting upwards.

"I'm not following you," Keith said, sounding slightly flustered. Pidge smiled some more.

"You were acting weird on the lion."

"Because your head is probably all scrambled," he retorted.

"I got _shot_ ," she defended fiercely, feeling guilty immediately afterwards because the look that wracked the red Paladin's face clearly indicated _he_ felt guilty as well. "I'm fine," she added in a lousy attempt to placate him.

"I should take you to a healing pod," Keith said.

"I have to fix my armor." Keith sighed, stopping in his tracks. Pidge stopped a few feet ahead. "What?"

"What if you have a concussion or something?" Keith asked, a strangled look on his face.

"I'm _fine_ ," she insisted. "Coran said so."

"You could barely form a coherent sentence!" he said heatedly.

Pidge grumbled, frustrated. "Are you going to fight with me when I'm injured?" she asked slyly.

Keith groaned, irritated. "That's _why_ I'm telling you to go heal."

"Only if you tell me what you were talking about before," she pried. Keith grabbed her roughly by the arm, pulling her through the halls. "Keith!"

He stopped her in front of a shiny door, their aggravated faces staring back at them. Her eyes narrowed to her hair…or what was left of it.

Her fingers moved deftly to caress the charred ends of her brown locks.

"I was afraid you were going to die," Keith admitted softly. "You were shot- when your helmet flew off I thought-" he stopped. They stood together in silence; his eyebrows knit together- a pained expression on his face. "And then the explosion- Pidge, you're lucky the only thing that burned was part of your hair."

She almost didn't hear him. She continued to touch the hardened ends. Then she noticed the distraught look on his face and she cleared her throat.

"You're right," she said, alittle _too_ chipper. "It's only a little bit. Not a big deal, Keith!" She clamped his shoulder comfortingly.

"Pidge-"

"You're right," she repeated. "I'll let Coran know I might take up the healing pod offer. I'll see you around."

With that she left.

It was too blunt and abrupt even for him. He was left feeling worse than before. _She_ tried to console _him_. Keith felt sick. He felt like he was trying to run miles and miles without covering any distance at all.

 _"Don't put it on,"_ he had told her. Her helmet was a hazard but he _told_ her not to put it on.

Guilt is a monster that doesn't go away.

.

* * *

.

Pidge sat on her bed later that night, eying herself in a small handheld mirror with an ever-present frown on her face as that days events flashed through her mind. When they returned to the castle everyone treated her normally- well as normally as they do after a tough battle. Before all this she had been considering trying to grow her hair out again. She hadn't made much progress but now it looked like she was back to square one. Pidge swallowed, glaring at her reflection when someone knocked on her door.

She sighed, dropping the mirror onto her pillow as she walked sluggishly to the door, counting on her fingers. "No, Coran, I don't need any more time in the healing pod. No, Hunk, I don't need help fixing my helmet. No, Lance, I have no dirt for you. Keith didn't say or do anything embarrassing. No, Shiro, you don't have to worry- I'm _fine_. No, Allura, I don't want any hair advice-"

"It's Keith."

Pidge stopped at the door. "Oh."

"And I have hair advice."

Pidge raised an eyebrow, allowing the door to slide open. "Oh?" she asked, arms crossed. Keith stood there, looking distinctly ruffled. "Did you run a marathon?" she asked, snickering in her hands.

" _No_ ," he said, making his way inside without waiting for the invite. "I searched the whole castleship looking for you."

"Why didn't you just come to my room?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Are you kidding? You sleep everywhere _but_ your room," Keith exaggerated, taking in his surroundings. He nudged aside some device on the ground she must have been tinkering with at some point.

Pidge shrugged. "Okay, you got me there. So, what's up?" Keith turned to face her, holding up scissors. Pidge held up her hands in defiance. "I know I annoyed you today but you really came to kill me?" she asked.

Keith looked confused. "What? No, I'm here to cut your hair."

Pidge touched the burned strands carefully. "Um."

"Why would you think that?" Keith implored, slightly offended.

Pidge just laughed. "You really didn't have to come."

"You're room is a mess," he said, ignoring her statement.

"It's not a _mess_ ," she said, affronted "It's organized in a way only I know."

"You have random gears lying around-"

"Organized."

Keith rolled his eyes. "Whatever, come here," he said, taking a seat on her bed.

She sat on the floor in front of him, no questions asked, picking at some wires she had lying around. "So why _are_ you here?" she mumbled.

"To cut your hair," he repeated, taking hold of some of her brown locks so gently she almost didn't notice.

"But _why_?"

Keith was silent for a while.

"Because you were upset," he stated simply. With a steady snip she watched bits of her charred hair fall around her. "You looked… _very_ upset."

" _You_ looked upset," she said, pouting. Keith snorted. She picked up a strand off the floor, twirling it between two fingers.

They fell into comfortable silence for a while, just the steady snip of the scissors echoing in her room.

"Sometimes I miss my long hair," she finally admitted. Keith said nothing but a slight pause in his trim told her he was listening. "I mean I cut it short for a reason. To figure out what happened to my family, you know?" she sighed. "I could grow it longer but it's just more convenient now, being a Paladin and all. But sometimes…I don't know."

Keith ran a comb through her hair and she briefly wondered when he pulled it out.

"Your hair doesn't define you," he said. "And it looks fine. It was just the ends."

"I know," she muttered. She laughed quietly. "Your hair might be longer than mine."

"Here," Keith said, leaning over her and handing her her discarded mirror.

Pidge glanced at her newly trimmed hair, letting her fingers run against the soft ends.

"Thanks, Keith," she said, angling the mirror so she could see his face. He smiled at her and she knew this was for both of them. All monsters could be slain. "Thank you."

.

* * *

.

Pidge spoke again later. "You're sweeping up the hair off my floor you know."

.

* * *

.

 _Authors Note:_

What cuties.

I had this written up for a long, long time but never got to looking it over. I need an editor lol. Been busy getting stuff ready for med school (but also just been lazy tbh).

Anyway I had a lot of fun exploring Keith and Pidge's relationship. Big brother Keith. This is all supposed to be strictly platonic fyi lol but I mean interpret it however you want ig

Next might be either Hunk and Pidge or Shiro and Pidge.

I am at a COMPLETE loss for what to do with Lance, Coran, and Allura. What insecurities could Pidge have that I can connect to them? SOS. Help wanted! Willing to pay with praise and gratitude.

-Magma


	6. I Like You Just the WEIGH You Are

Chapter 6: **I Like You Just the WEIGH You Are**

.

* * *

.

"Hunk, it's fine," Pidge said, trailing after the yellow Paladin as they marched through the castleship.

"It's _not_. We almost—because of me—"

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Pidge, I got _stuck_."

"So? It was a pretty narrow vent-"

"It's not even the first time I got stuck. Remember when we were all separated? Lance and I crash landed in some water covered planet. Lance had to do things alone because the mermaids saving us couldn't pull me through the hole. And then I tried to kill him!" Hunk rambled quickly. "And when Keith and I had to go into the weblum I got stuck in part of the circulatory system. Now that was just temporary but still the fact is-"

"Wha- What…? Hunk!" Pidge exclaimed. "Focus! You lost me."

Hunk stopped and exhaled slowly, turning to face the youngest Paladin, guilt on his face. "You almost didn't escape because I was _stuck_."

"Hunk…"

"You should have went first. You should have left me."

"…I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"It's true."

"Hunk, how can you say that?" Pidge said, placing her hand gently on his arm. "Do you honestly think I'd leave you?"

Hunk closed his eyes briefly but Pidge could feel him tremble. He pulled his arm away. "You should have."

.

* * *

.

Pidge collapsed onto her back, the hard floor of the lab strangely soothing as the cold seeped through her shirt. She rubbed her tired eyes and stared up at the ceiling remembering the time she was stuck with Hunk in zero G. She laughed softly to herself. Sure, the Castle of Lions was basically trying to kill them at the time but she remembered it fondly.

She snorted. Hunk didn't want to kick her because she was his friend. He looked surprised that she would even suggest a thing.

Pidge rolled to her side, resting her head on her arm as she picked at some grit on the floor thinking.

Today was tough for all of the Paladin's. They found a small Galra delivery base and decided to take it down. A small step in defeating the large empire but it was something. It wasn't too difficult but things got hairy near the end.

Pidge huffed, sitting back up and folding her legs. _What time was it?_ She glanced at her laptop screen. Late. Of course. She didn't _mean_ to stay up all the time it just happened. But right now she wasn't thinking of herself. A few more tics and Hunk should probably be up for a late night snack. She'd meet him in the kitchen for occasional late night talks while she refilled on something caffeinated (they weren't able to scrounge up Earth coffee but found something that came close) while he made something to soothe his rumbling tummy.

Pidge got up, wiping dust off her shorts as she made her way back up to the kitchen. The halls were long and it was always eerily quite. Her mind wandered to familiar thoughts. The Castle of Lions certainly wasn't built for just seven people in mind. There were several kitchens spaced throughout its halls and floors, many different communal bathrooms, and even more bedrooms. The place should be bustling with people and yet…

Not everything goes as planned.

Pidge had yet to explore every nook and cranny of the castle. It was too _big_. As she neared the shared kitchen closest to the Paladin's sleeping quarters she tried to listen for Hunk's familiar humming or the sound of clattering dishes and utensils.

Silence.

Just like the desolate halls.

Pidge walked inside, the automatic lights turning on. Spotless. Untouched.

"Hunk…" Pidge whispered to herself.

He should be here. He should be here testing out strange ingredients with labels he couldn't read, trying to mimic Earth recipes. He had told her baking cleared his head and now would be the prime time to de-stress. And he wasn't even here.

Pidge waited.

And waited.

She waited long enough that she nodded off, falling asleep right at the counter. The light sensors turned off and she was left in the dark.

Alone.

The castleship suddenly felt too _large_.

But perhaps that wasn't the right word to use right now.

.

* * *

.

"AHHHHH!"

Pidge woke up with a shout, swinging her mug around to hit whoever was trying to attack her. "Wha-what-" she spluttered, blinking as her glasses sat askew on her face.

"What are you doing sleeping here in the dark?"

Pidge blinked as the world came into focus. Coran stood clad in a robe at the kitchen entrance, hands on his hips.

Pidge groaned and sat down, exhausted. "What do you _mean_? I don't know about you Alteans, but humans _like_ to sleep in the dark."

Coran moved closed, wagging his finger to chastise the girl. "You know what I meant, Number Five. It's bad for you to sleep like this!" Pidge half listened to the older man, briefly thinking of her father. She yawned as Coran continued with his lecture. "Think of your back. You should go sleep in your room."

"I was just waiting for…" she paused. "What time is it anyway?"

"Very late."

"What are you doing up?"

Coran straightened, pulling at his mustache. "I got hungry. I think Hunk noticed I get hungry at strange times…I've yet to train the mice to make me sandwiches on command…" Coran trailed off, as if thinking of new methods to get the space mice to obey his instructions. "Anyway, he always seems to leave something interesting to eat. So here I am."

"So here you are," Pidge said slowly, looking around. "Well, he wasn't here today."

Coran sighed, disappointed. "Pity." The older man seemed to change resolve quickly. "It's my chance to return the favor! I'll leave him a dish!"

Pidge smiled. "That's nice."

"You know what else is nice?" Coran asked, leaning down so they were nose to nose. "Sleep!" he exclaimed, straightening his back and gesturing towards the door. "Now come on Number Five, off to bed."

Pidge grumbled under her breath but did as she was told. She slouched and dragged her feet as she walked back to her room, passing some of the other bedroom doors.

She slowed as she approached Hunk's.

Hunk was a deep sleeper. Pidge swore his snores could shake the ship. But at least that meant he was sleeping soundly.

She paused for a moment outside his room.

Silence.

And that screamed louder than any snoring would.

.

* * *

.

Pidge didn't know what to do.

Hunk, though one of the more sensitive ones of the group, was the teams emotional crutch. He was their rock. And right now he was _crumbling_.

Pidge sighed. She felt tainted. _Dirty_.

 _Going to go wash off this guilt._

She didn't know why she felt guilty. There was nothing to feel guilty about but the thought of her Garrison friend upset…

Pidge sulked all the way to the bathroom. She debated going down to one of the ones further away, which normally gave her some more privacy, but right now the familiarity of the common bathroom would probably soothe her nerves. By some unspoken rule each of the Paladins had claimed a sink and shower. Lance's countertop area was home to his facemask and different beauty products. Shiro kept a neat little razor and Keith had a comb. Hunk kept a neat little array of his headbands, which Pidge noticed one day because she realized he did own different colors, but seemed to favor his signature yellow.

The bathroom door slid open and Pidge walked towards the hanging towels, reaching for her green one when she felt a prickling at the back of her neck.

Pidge whipped around, heart beating in her chest, before she realized it was just her friend.

"Hunk, what're you doing?" Pidge asked, watching the yellow Paladin stand at his sink, staring intently at the mirror.

Hunk seemed surprised to see her there, turning to look at her briefly. "Oh, hey Pidge. Sorry, I'll get out of your way if you want to shower."

The showers were off beyond a small curtained area so him being here was no issue at all and he knew that.

"That's alright," she said, walking closer to him, her towel draped across one arm. "What're you doing?" she tried again.

Hunk shrugged, leaning both arms against the counter as he stared intently at his face.

"Do you have a pimple or something?" Pidge asked, oh so sensitively. "I'm sure Lance wouldn't mind if you used his face wash."

Hunk shook his head. "No, no. Nothing like that." He slapped his cheeks a couple times, leaning in closer to the sink. "Look at that."

Pidge approached him carefully, leaning with him against the counter. "Look at what?"

Hunk poked his cheek once more. "That jiggle."

Pidge huffed, exasperated. " _Hunk._ "

"Sorry, Pidge," he said quickly, moving away.

She quickly grasped his arm, shaking her head. "No. You don't have to be sorry. You can say whatever you want. That's not-" She huffed, not sure how to say what she wanted to say. She _wanted_ to comfort him. She _wanted_ him to know he could talk to her freely. She just _couldn't_. "Just- just wait here. I'll be back. Give me a few minutes."

Pidge tossed her towel onto the counter and Hunk watched her run out of the room before turning back to the mirror, placing his hands on his hips. He turned to the side, staring at himself longer before letting out a defeated sigh.

Pidge came back a few moments later-

"Wow!" Hunk looked at her, surprised. "Pidge, you look so-"

"Don't say it," she cut him off, stopping beside him.

"But-"

She glared at him and he chuckled nervously. They stood together for a moment in silence. Hunk, his large, hulking height a great contrast beside her short, petite self.

"Where'd you get it?" Hunk asked.

"It's Allura's," Pidge explained, tugging at the end of her dress. It was a simple, dark green, lace dress that clung to the top half of her body, sheer near her collarbones, and openly flowed mid thigh. "She said she wore this as a child," Pidge snorted. "It was too _short_ on her. I'm probably triple that age and it fits me."

"Is that a bad thing?" Hunk asked.

"Mm, yes and no."

"Well, I think you look beautiful," Hunk said, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm a rectangle," she went on. "I saw this online but I think it fits," she explained before going on. "Turn me sideways and I disappear. Stick out my tongue and I'll look like a zipper."

"That's not true!" Hunk defended. "You're awesome!"

"I'm flat as a board," she continued, ignoring his attempts at reassuring her that her flaws were _not_ flaws. She pressed her hand against her chest. "Okay, not exactly a board but-"

"I wish I could give some of my curves to you," Hunk said.

Pidge laughed softly. "What a kind gesture, Hunk. Thank you."

 _He_ was their emotional support. _She_ couldn't find the right words to say but she knew he sure could.

"How come you don't wear dresses more often?"

Pidge snorted. "A dress wouldn't exactly be easy to take care of as a Paladin. And I like wearing pants and stuff but I guess sometimes it would be nice to feel attractive."

"I never want to hear you talking about yourself like that," the larger Paladin continued. "You are amazing-"

"So are you."

"You kick ass-

" _You_ kick ass."

"You're super smart-"

" _You're_ super smart-"

"And you're loved, I never want you to forget that."

"I don't want you to forget it either."

Hunk looked down at her as a few ticks passed. "I see what you did there."

Pidge laughed. "I'm trying, okay?"

Hunk leaned down and pulled her into a hug. She accepted it readily, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Pidge."

"Thank _you_ , Hunk."

.

* * *

.

Lance walked in on them while they were bonding.

"Wow, Pidge, you're wearing a dress!"

"Go away, Lance," Pidge said, her voice muffled against Hunk's yellow shirt.

It was silent for a little while until she felt thin arms envelop her. She opened an eye and saw Lance embracing them both.

"I don't know what's going on here but I want in," he mumbled, squeezing tight.

Hunk snorted.

"Garrison trio, reunited!" Lance exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the bathroom.

Pidge didn't feel dirty anymore.

.

* * *

.

 _Authors Note:_

Because I felt we could have used more Hunk and Pidge in S3.

(Dress inspiration link can be found either on the tumblr or AO3 post!)


	7. Do You Even Lift?

Chapter 7: **Do You Even Lift?**

.

* * *

.

The vastness of space spread out before them gave Shiro a sense of tranquility like no other. Back on Earth people would be waking up to a sunrise but he was met by the steady movement of the planets and celestial objects surrounding the Castle of Lions. He was up chatting with Allura as she navigated through space when the door behind them slid open. Pidge walked in, shoulders hunched as she shuffled towards her seat, slumping into it drowsily. She let out a small sigh.

Shiro took pride in understanding his fellow Paladins. They all had certain quirks and habits that he had grown accustomed to but there were always times where something felt awry.

"Morning, Pidge," Shiro greeted.

"Reporting for duty, sir," Pidge said, lifting her arm to give a lazy salute.

"You seem exceptionally tired today," he went on, chuckling at her greeting. "Long night?"

"I woke up early," she mumbled, picking at the arm of her chair.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Something like that."

Shiro stared at her a moment longer to see if she would elaborate but she resolutely avoided eye contact, instead focusing on her fingernails.

He understood the conversation was over for now but decided he'd have to keep a close eye on the youngest Paladin that day.

.

* * *

.

Hours passed without any trouble and it was later in the night when Shiro ventured down to Pidge's lab. It came to no surprise when he found her nodding off in her chair, head lolling back lazily as her quiet snores echoed around the room. He learned from experience that waking her up when she was this far gone could be dangerous for _both_ parties. He heard stories from some of the other people on the ship as well. Coran had one in particular where he said he found her sleeping in the kitchen some night and swears she almost murdered him with a coffee mug.

Too many fights and too many surprises when they were out fighting as Paladins made her wary and alert, even in sleep. To surprise her warranted an attack.

But if he was gentle enough even Pidge's sleeping brain understood he meant no harm.

"Pidge," he whispered calmly as he crouched down beside her. He shut her laptop with a click and slowly pulled her chair out away from the desk. The young girl mumbled, eyebrows scrunching together as his voice no doubt pervaded into her dreams. He couldn't help but smile. "Katie," he tried again, nudging her shoulder slightly. Still she slept. "I'm going to pick you up," he said, unsure if she was conscious enough to even register his words. As gently as he could he hooked one arm under her legs as his mechanical one slipped against her back. He reveled at how _small_ she felt and how delicate and, not for the first time, felt incredibly large and clunky in comparison to the green Paladin.

It was when he placed her into her bed when he noticed a mix of red and hardened spots on the palms of her hands. Maybe she had been helping Hunk tinker with something new. He turned off her lights and exited the room. If something was wrong with her why wouldn't she tell them? As the door slid shut behind him his concern grew.

.

* * *

.

A couple days went by and Pidge seemed to grow exhausted by the day. Either she showed up to places earlier than she normally would or she came late. A few times Shiro had went to knock on her room door to let her know everyone was having breakfast but came up empty. He checked all her usual spots and still couldn't find her. On those days she'd show up at the dining table and shovel down as much food as she could, clearly famished.

Today was another day. Shiro was normally the first out of all the Paladins to wake up. He was doing push ups in his room when he heard one of the doors in the hallway hiss open. He had an inkling as to who it was and thoughts rolled through his head as he tried to find purchase on a solid plan. He _wanted_ to see where she crept off to so early in the morning and what she was hiding- _why_ she was hiding but…that would be the wrong path to take. He trusted her to do what was good for herself and unhappily stayed behind his door as she passed.

.

* * *

.

Eventually Shiro noticed Pidge was sporting bruises. She was pointing something out on a screen and the back of her shirt moved up, exposing some mottling on the skin of her back. He wasn't too alarmed though. It wasn't surprising for the Paladin's to gain some injuries after their missions. But she seemed to be gaining more and more even after several days without battle.

"Are those a fashion statement?" Shiro asked one day, pointing at a couple bandages on her legs. He didn't bother to mention some purpling splotches that seemed to add to her collection of mystery.

Pidge snorted. "Sure. Do you like them?" She propped her leg up against the wall, balancing on the other to showcase her new accessories. "I'm using alien themed band-aids courtesy of Hunk. He found them last time he went to the space mall."

"They're lovely," he admired with a chuckle. "But why the need for them?"

Pidge let her leg slide back down to her side, scratching the back of her head nervously. "Just been doing some extra training," she admitted.

.

* * *

.

And she was training. Hard.

She was currently fighting one of the training robots in hand-to-hand combat. She was starting to tire. Who knows how long she had been keeping this up? Shiro watched her carefully. She seemed to be figuring out the best way to defeat her opponent without exhausting her energy. Pidge was panting and now he understood where she'd been gaining all her injuries. The robot was relentless. He hadn't seen it fight this intensely before and he briefly wondered what level of difficulty she had chosen. He briefly noted she was wearing her Paladin armor and felt proud of her choice. The armor was high tech and lightweight but it still added some bulk and took more effort to fight in it. Training like this would help her build strength and grow accustomed to it so the armor felt like a _part_ of her.

The robot had broken through her defenses and she took a hit to her side in favor of blocking one to her face before pushing back. But he could tell she was reaching her end. He almost stepped in a couple times but the way she moved- she was _determined_. She collapsed onto her rear, breathing heavily as the training robot closed in on her but she yelled, finally yielding in to using her Bayard.

Her opponent was a frazzled mess on the floor and she collapsed onto her back.

 _Now_ , Shiro made to move and help her but paused when Pidge started laughing.

"Woohoo!" she cheered, arms raised. She kicked her legs happily before letting her limbs sprawl back down. "I did it!"

Shiro felt _proud_.

.

* * *

.

Something still felt _off_.

He understood now that Pidge was trying her best to improve her combat abilities but there was something else he felt like she wasn't telling him. Of course the Paladin's were allowed to have their secrets but there were times when Pidge got strangely quiet and the callouses he saw on her hand came back to mind. There was something _upsetting_ her.

He wasn't the only one to notice either.

"Ah shit, sorry Pidge!" Shiro walked in on Lance and Pidge playing some video games. It took a lot of searching but they finally procured something similar to what they wanted. Pidge was cradling her shoulder, glaring at Lance who hovered over her anxiously. "I didn't mean to," he was insisting.

"What happened?" Shiro asked, stepping in front of them.

"Shiro, move!" Pidge exclaimed, swiping up her remote. "We can't see the screen!"

Shiro shifted to the side, taking a seat on the couch beside the two. Well, she seemed to recover quickly.

"What happened?" Shiro repeated.

"I punched Pidge on the shoulder," Lance said, focusing on the game again.

"Why would you do that?" Shiro asked.

"It was a congratulatory punch," Lance defended, sparing him a glance for a moment. "She finally found all the materials to make her favorite weapon so I was all _way to go Pidge!_ And punched her and she started crying."

"I didn't _cry_!" Pidge shouted, whipping her head towards the oldest Paladin. "Shiro, you saw. I wasn't crying. Lance is lying."

"HA!" Lance cheered, throwing his hands into the air. "Pay attention to the game. You're dying. You're dying…and you're dead."

"You cheated," Pidge pouted, sinking back into the couch. "You physically assaulted me."

"I tapped your shoulder," Lance defended. "Did you hurt it or something?"

"It's just sore okay," Pidge said, shrugging.

"What did you do to it?" Shiro tried asking.

"Nothing," she said. "I was training."

Shiro considered prying some more but the other two Paladins were already absorbed in another game.

.

* * *

.

Shiro finally decided he had enough when he found her angrily throwing jabs at a punching bag down in the training room.

"What are you doing down here?" Shiro asked, walking around her to help hold the punching bag in place.

Pidge didn't respond for a few moments and the only sounds that filled the room was the steady thumps of her attacks.

"I thought you'd be knocked out in your bed after today's fight," Shiro continued. "Pretty sure the rest of the team is."

"I'm training," she ground out. Sweat dripped from her brow, darkening a spot on the floor.

"You've been…" Shiro sighed. "You've been training a lot. Is there something wrong?"

Pidge threw one last punch, with so much anger and power behind the hit that it jolted Shiro back in surprise.

"I _have_ to train!" she exclaimed, breathing heavily and glaring at him. "Isn't it a good thing that I'm practicing?"

"Pidge, you're doing fine," he said.

She shook her head, frustrated and irrationally irate. "You don't get it," she said. "Did you notice what happened today? We had to hold shut those doors and everyone was able to do their part except _me_."

Shiro furrowed his brows. "There were a lot of bots trying to get through. It wasn't easy to hold the position-"

"But they only got through _my_ entrance didn't they?" she said, her fury slowly starting to dissipate as exhaustion took its place. "They targeted Allura and-" Pidge groaned. "Shiro, everyone could have gotten hurt really badly and it would have been my fault."

Shiro swallowed thickly. He didn't know what to say.

Pidge walked towards the wall and bent over, picking up a large dumbbell with two hands. She walked back to him and nodded at his arm. Shiro opened his hand, palm up, and she dropped the heavy weight. He grasped it, confused and unsure about what any of this meant, but she had started to look increasingly uncomfortable.

"Pidge-"

"See!" she exclaimed. "I'm _weak_!"

"You're _not_ weak-"

"I _am_ , Shiro. Mentally? Not really. But physically? I'm _weak,"_ she said, exasperated. She ran a hand through her messy hair. "Well…weak _er_. No matter how much I train it's not enough. I could be doing just as much- if not _more_ than the other guys and I'm still only able to lift a couple pounds less than them. It's not _fair_. Guys are just _built_ differently! I struggled to hold that thing with _two_ hands and you can do it with one-"

"No," Shiro interrupted, gently placing the dumbbell back on the ground. "You're still young. I've had years of fighting on you."

Pidge frowned and scuffed her shoe against the ground. She looked lost and _tired_. "I- I just want to be able to fight and protect you guys," she confessed. "We were able to find Matt, sure, but…if I don't get stronger I'm going to lose more brothers."

Now all the puzzle pieces fell into place. Shiro smiled tenderly at the youngest Paladin, reaching over to clasp a hand on her shoulder.

"You haven't lost him, Pidge," he said. "And you're aren't going to lose us either."

And those simple words lifted her spirits.

.

* * *

.

 _Authors Note:_

So, I had started writing this way before the recent seasons were released- probably around the end of season 3? I can't even remember. But it sat unfinished in my folder forever and I finally decided to get to publishing it. So technically this was written _before_ Pidge reunited with Matt (so some edits had to be made) but honestly, I feel like it can fit in anywhere in the timeline! (But I guess technically it has to take place before they return to Earth).

Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed. Honestly, that's what motivated me to finally finish this. Sometimes I just need a kick in the butt and reminders that – _hey_ , we're here and we want to read more! So, again, thank you!

Until the next one?

-Magma


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